Kendrick Lamar

Drake’s Latest Kendrick Lamar Diss ‘Family Matters’ Showed Up Less Than A Day After ‘6:16’

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Drake took a little more than 12 hours to respond to Kendrick Lamar’s latest diss track, “6:16.” “Family Matters,” which just went up a few minutes ago, finds Drake not only clapping back at K. Dot, but also roping in every other artist who’s mentioned him since Kendrick called him out on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin.

For the first time since the pair’s long-running Cold War escalated into open hostilities, Drake sounds mad here. Perhaps it was the mention of his parenting that set him off (“You mentioned my seed now deal with his dad,” he jabs to start the track) but this time, the gloves (heh) are off. Drake dispenses with whatever pleasantries may have been left, going all the way to the floor with his shots at Kendrick — or, more accurately, Kendrick’s rough relationship with his fiancée, Whitney Alford.

Among the outrageous assertions Drake includes in his latest dispatch are a suggestion that Kendrick was physically abusive to Alford (“When you put your hands on your girl is it self-defense, ’cause she’s bigger than you”) and that one of Kendrick’s children with Alford might be the result of infidelity with his PgLang partner Dave Free (“I heard that one them little kids might be Dave Free’s”).

He also undercuts Kendrick’s race-related jabs from “Euphoria” by accusing him of some hypocrisy (“Maybe I’m Prince and you actually Mike / Michael was prayin’ his features would change so people believe that he’s actually white”) and calling him a phony when it comes to his image as a revolutionary (“You just actin’ like an activist, it’s make-believe”).

You’d think with all that, he wouldn’t have enough time to lash out at the rest of his opponents, but he does, reserving bars for The Weeknd, who he calls a drug addict, ASAP Rocky, who he says should stick to modeling since fans aren’t really checking for his music, Rick Ross, for obvious reasons, and Future, who he feels was suckered into enabling this beef against his own interests.

You can listen to “Family Matters” above.

Drake Unleashes On Kendrick Lamar With “Family Matters” Diss

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He didn’t even let Kendrick Lamar have a day. K. Dot dropped the diss “6:16 In L.A.” the morning of May 3, and Drake stole his thunder by dropping his response the same exact day. Not only that, the Toronto superstar dropped a music video too. He uploaded the track “Family Matters” to YouTube with a seven minute video that sees him pick up right where he left off with “Push Ups.” Literally. The beat switch at the end of Drake’s first diss serves as the intro beat on “Family Matters,” and he has a lot to say on it.

The writing was on the wall when Drake started posting messages on his Instagram Story. The rapper posted a clip from The Equalizer 2 in which the main character threatens to kill every one of his ops. He also posted an image of yellow caution tape. THEN DJ Akademiks began hyping up the release of the new song on X (formerly Twitter) and stream calls with Kai Cenat. Well, Drake made good on the hype and gave fans a song that’s even longer than Lamar’s “Euphoria.”

Read More: Rick Ross Jokingly Blames Drake After His Jet Crash-Landed In Dallas

Drake Dropped A Music Video With His Latest Diss

Drake throws shots at The Weeknd, claiming that his music plays in all the spots where “boys got a little more pride,” but Dot is the main target. The title “Family Matters” riffs on the criticisms that Lamar made about his parenting skills. The music video also goes out of its way to upend this claim, with footage of Drake holding his son and walking around his mansion. The rapper ALSO dismisses the fact that K. Dot got a number one with “Like That,” claiming that he only did so because he was talking the 6 God. He even goes as far as to suggest that Lamar should give him the money he got from the song.

Like with every diss that’s been released thus far, the lyrics on “Family Matters” are dense. Drake has a lot to address, both in terms of enemies and the things Lamar said about him in the last week. It’s part of the fun. What we didn’t expect was the music video treatment. Drake has clearly been planning out this rollout for a while. We’re excited to see what this diss spawns next in the battle.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Refused To Appear On Drake’s “First Person Shooter”

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DJ Akademiks Teases Release Of Drake’s Response Diss Tonight

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The music world is on the cusp of something huge. Drake has been dropping subtle digs at Kendrick Lamar all week. He’s hade to, frankly. The Compton rapper has been demolishing him on record with two diss tracks in the span of six days. DJHed got fans hyped up for the release of a Drake response on May 2, but DJ Akademiks shut the rumor down. He got on the phone with streamer Kai Cenat and told fans not to prepare for anything. Ak’s tune changed, however, on May 3.

DJ Akademiks once again got on the phone with Cenat, only this time he told the streamer to be ready. “Stay on stream,” he told him. “I’m at a concert, and I’m going home. Just stay on stream, gang.” Cenat realized what Ak was implying, and immediately hyped. “Say no more,” he responded. Akademiks hyped up the 6 God fanbase further by tweeting out “It’s happening” on X without any additional context. The internet personality was steadfast in dismissing the earlier release date, which makes his confidence on this particular night so encouraging. Seems like the real deal.

DJ Akademiks Is Hyping Up Drake’s Incoming Response

Drake has certainly been setting the stage for a diss track. Lamar started May 3 off with the surprise diss “6:16 In L.A.,” but Drake has been posting ominous messages to Dot on Instagram. He posted a clip from the film The Equalizer 2, followed by an image of yellow caution tape. Akademiks isn’t the only one who is fanning the flame. Mal, of the New Rory And Mal Podcast, posted a photo of a fallout shelter sign on X. No caption or additional context, just a sign that reads: “shelter in basement.”

Drake has been known to communicate with both Akademiks and Mal in the past. Ak has even shared text conversations between him and Drake on his live stream. It’s unclear whether the podcasters have an inside line to the OVO camp or if they are simply going on a hunch, but either way, May 3 looks to be a much more promising candidate for a drop than May 2.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Refused To Appear On Drake’s “First Person Shooter”

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Drake Continues To Troll Kendrick Lamar With Ominous IG Photo

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Drake loves to play mind games on social media. He’s dropped plenty of diss tracks throughout his career (two in the last month, actually), but he understands the power of a meme. He’s mercilessly clowned Metro Boomin and Rick Ross on Instagram, but all the focus now seems to be on Kendrick Lamar. It’s easy to see why. Lamar broke his silence to bomb on Drake with two diss tracks in only a couple days. Drizzy has already confirmed a response is coming, but he wants to have fun with his competition in the meantime.

Drake posted a single, ominous image to his Instagram Story on May 3. The image was yellow caution tape. You know, the kind used to surround a crime scene. The Toronto rapper isn’t planning on getting violent with Lamar, but he definitely wants to strike fear in him. This implication of “lyrical homicide” is strong enough to be understood on its own, frankly. That being said, it takes on greater meaning when paired with the film clip Drake posted shortly before.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Refused To Appear On Drake’s “First Person Shooter”

Drake Teased His Upcoming Diss With Caution Tape

The 6 God loves his film references, and took a line from The Equalizer 2 to convey how he was feeling. “So I’m gonna kill each and every one of you,” the character played by Denzel Washington states. “And the only disappointment in it for me is that I’m only gonna get to do it once.” If Drake plans to do as he says (or as Denzel’s character says), than he’s going to need lots of yellow tape. The scene takes on even greater context when taken as a response to Lamar’s diss “6:16 In L.A.” Lamar claimed that the Toronto rapper had moles in his camp. He went as far as to say that 20% of the people on his payroll want to see him fail.

The Equalizer 2 clip subsequently works on two different levels. The first, and most obvious, is that Drake is the Denzel character who is going to wreak havoc. The second is that Denzel’s character is visiting an old friend to let him know that he’s aware of his betrayal. The friend (played by Pedro Pascal) is actually the person receiving the chilling threat in the scene. It’s telling that Drake uses The Equalizer 2 as the film to communicate his side of things, while he used 10 Things I Hate About You to address Lamar’s “Euphoria” diss. It’s safe to assume we’re going to get more cryptic (or not so cryptic) IG posts until Drake drops.

Read More: Rick Ross Jokingly Blames Drake After His Jet Crash-Landed In Dallas

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Drake Producer Gordo Hypes Up His Kendrick Lamar Response

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Gordo has become a staple on Drake’s 2020s catalog. The Guatemalan producer produced four tracks on Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind, and co-produced the single “Rich Baby Daddy” off For All the Dogs. He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Drake’s creative process. This is why we’re excited to see that Gordo is cranking up the hype machine for the rapper’s upcoming response to Kendrick Lamar. Based on Lamar’s last two disses, the quality level is going to have to be high.

Kendrick Lamar shocked the world (again) on May 3 when he dropped the diss song “6:16 In L.A.” The song is the second diss aimed at Drake within a week, and borrows the title format of Drake’s beloved timestamp songs. At least, it attempts to (the song doesn’t match Drake’s AM/PM pattern). We digress. “6:16 In L.A.” was an Instagram exclusive, which led Gordo to post an ominous comment under the song. “The world is not ready,” he wrote. This falls in line with a similar comment made by 50 Cent. The rapper, who has been supporting Drake throughout the battle, claimed that there was a “bomb” on the way. “Oh sh*t it’s lit Kendrick went again,” he wrote. “I heard Drake got a [bomb] waiting.”

Read More: Haley Joel Osment Co-Signs Kendrick Lamar Reference In “Euphoria”

Gordo Is Excited For Drake To Clap Back

People firmly planted on the team Kendrick side of things can dismiss Gordo’s claims. Those wanting to see the battle continue to escalate, however, will be thrilled. Gordo has spoken highly of Drake’s musical abilities for years, as evidenced by his 2022 interview with GQ. The producer’s ties to the beef become more interesting when considering his proximity to “First Person Shooter.” Gordo didn’t actually work on the song, but he told the outlet that he was present the night Drake and J. Cole recorded it.

I texted [Drake], and when he replied at 4pm I was already in the kitchen at his house,” the producer recalled. “I played him the beat [for “Sticky”] and he was like, ‘Woah.’ At that moment J. Cole walked in because he was at the house playing basketball. They recorded that night.” The collab between Drake and Cole is credited with jumpstarting the Kendrick Lamar battle. This theory gained even more traction on May 2, when DJ Akademiks revealed that Lamar was originally supposed to be on the song. Lamar turned down the offer, and promptly dissed the other two rappers on “Like That.” It sounds like Gordo has a front row seat to what comes next.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Calls “Cap” On Rumored Drake Release: “Nah, Man”

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How Has Hip-Hop Responded To Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria”?

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Kendrick Lamar shocked the world with the release of the explosive diss track “Euphoria” earlier this week, taking aim at Drake. The track, which runs over six minutes in length, is an all-out assault on Drake’s musical catalog, his personal relationships, and his very essence. On “Euphoria,” Kendrick raps “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress / I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it’s gon’ be direct / We hate the b****es you f***, ’cause they confuse themselves with real women / And notice, I said ‘we,’ it’s not just me, I’m what the culture feeling.”

Some rap fans have said that Kendrick Lamar is the best entertainer in the world in terms of creating a viral moment. This has been exhibited with feature verses on records such as “Like That,” which kicked off this hip hop civil war, and 2013’s “Control,” which ignited the game with a number of name-drops. Here’s how hip hop is reacting to Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” in the days since the Drake diss dropped.

Jay Rock

A number of TDE signees have taken to social media to react to their former label-mate’s diss record, with Jay Rock providing some of the most humorous commentary. Though he’s surely biased in this exchange, Jay Rock expressed the firm opinion that Kendrick cooked Drake on “Euphoria.” Jay even went so far as to compare Drake to a “golden brown wing,” roasting the OVO head honcho even further. After receiving a flurry of negative responses from Drake Stans, Jay Rock doubled down, sharing a second tweet that reads, “Why yall mad at me it ain’t my fault my n**** cook some chicken this morning lol!!”

Denzel Curry

Denzel Curry has been following this beef closely as a fan and has had a great deal of unbiased insight into the back-and-forth. On the day Kendrick dropped “Euphoria,” Curry had a lot to say about the Drake diss, pointing out, “It took two of the biggest artist in the world to diss each other for people to appreciate lyricism.” Elsewhere on social media, Denzel echoed the popular sentiment that J. Cole was aware of the impending slug-fest, which may explain why he peacefully bowed out of the battle with an apology to Kendrick just days after releasing his own diss titled “7 Minute Drill.”

Reason

Another TDE signee, Reason, further elucidated on the J. Cole angle of the beef. Though Reason has been on Top Dawg since 2018, he has never appeared on a track alongside Kendrick Lamar. He has, however, collaborated with J. Cole’s Dreamville outfit numerous times and appeared on multiple placements in the Dreamville album Revenge of the Dreamers 3.

Reason previously weighed in on this beef with a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), including an April 5 post that read, “Clearly yall don’t understand what ‘friendly sparring’ means lol n****s will rap! It just won’t go pass that or get super personal, that’s what I’m saying. But I think both of them will GO!!!!” Days later, when Cole first apologized to Kendrick Lamar, Reason expressed frustration online. It’s clear that, with the benefit of hindsight, more artists and fans alike are seeing why Cole wanted nothing to do with the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, retroactively repairing the Might Delete Later rapper’s image.

Top Dawg, Punch, & Moosa

After Kendrick Lamar announced his departure from TDE in 2022, many fans began to speculate that there was bad blood between Kendrick and the label. Drake even alluded to this in the lyrics to his initial “Push Ups” diss. In the wake of the “Euphoria” drop, it seems clear that these rumors were false, as Top Dawg himself has reaffirmed his kinship to Kendrick, alongside label heads like Punch and Moosa.

Rick Ross

@cloutynaz Rick Ross tells Drake not to respond to Kendrick Lamar’s diss track ‘EUPHORIA’ #cloutynaz #rickross #drake #kendricklamar ♬ Champagne Moments – Rick Ross

Like Kendrick, Rick Ross is currently embroiled in his own beef with Drake, having dropped the track “Champagne Moments” just hours after the “Push Ups” leak hit the internet. Ross shared some words after Kendrick Lamar released “Euphoria,” asking Drake to admit defeat and not respond. The lyrics in “Euphoria” echoed claims made by Ross that Drake has undergone numerous plastic surgeries to alter his abs, nose, and butt, leading to an ongoing social media dispute between the rappers. Drake has not yet responded to “Euphoria” on wax, so for now, we’ll just have to wait and see if he takes Rick Ross’s advice.

Suge Knight

Love him or hate him, Suge Knight is certainly an authority on rap beef. Despite his incarceration in federal prison for voluntary manslaughter, the former Death Row Records head offered his perspective on the ongoing Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake situation. Suge firmly gives the W to Kendrick by his own ear but offers an interesting insight into the state of colorism within rap.

One of the key moments in Kendrick Lamar’s “Euphoria” track saw him attacking Drake’s race, claiming that he isn’t black enough to use the n-word. Kendrick even concluded the 6-minute song with a singing outro stating, “We don’t wanna hear you say n**** no more.” While Suge Knight seems to have enjoyed the “Euphoria” track, he suggests dropping this narrative, as light-skinned black people continue to experience the same racism that plagues darker-skinned individuals.

YNW Melly

Like Suge Knight, YNW Melly has weighed in on “Euphoria” from prison. Kendrick mentions the incarcerated rapper by name on “Euphoria,” rapping, “Cole and Aubrey know I’m a selfish n**** the crown is heavy. I pray they my real friends, if not, I’m YNW Melly.” These bars reference the fact that Melly is accused of murdering two of his own friends. In response, Melly issued a statement to TMZ, explaining, “Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite rappers so I feel honored and appalled … I’m a household name — just for the wrong s**t!!!”

[Via]

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DJHed Claims Drake Didn’t Drop A Response Track Because He’s Scared

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Everyone is talking about the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef once again. The two MCs first found themselves embroiled in beef when Kendrick took shots at the “Rich Baby Daddy” hitmaker back in March. Since then it’s been a series of diss tracks, response songs, and other rappers and members of the rap media attempting to get involved. That seems to be the case with DJHed as well who has been tweeting about the beef non-stop. In the wake of Kendrick’s newest release “6:16 In LA” this morning he made a claim that has fans doing a double take.

DJHed took to Twitter to share his take on the situation. He claims that Drake had a song ready to drop and chose not to. “FTR.. He was droppin. He held back out of fear” one of his many tweets about the beef begins. He also repeatedly makes the claim that Drake is holding back the release of Camila Cabello’s new song. The former Fifth Harmony member released a collaboration with Playboi Carti called “I LUV IT” earlier this year. Many fans took to the comments to express their skepticism over almost everything DJHed tweeted about. Check out just a sample of the posts he made below.

Read More: DJHed Claims Drake Is Dropping A “Hit” Kendrick Lamar Diss Tonight

DJHed Claims Drake Isn’t Dropping Out Of Fear

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Our Generation Music (@ourgenerationmusic)

Kendrick and Drake’s beef is back in everyone’s mind following the release of “6:16 In LA.” Kendrick Lamar didn’t wait for a Drake response to double down on his criticisms of the rapper with a surprise second diss track. Fans have spent all day unpacking the details of the new diss. They’ve uncovered Drake’s family connection to the song used as a sample on the track. They also discovered that Kendrick recruited regular Taylor Swift writer and producer Jack Antonoff to help produce the track.

What do you think of DJHed’s claim that Drake didn’t drop the diss track he was speculated to because he was scared? Do you think Drake will drop a new diss track aimed at Kendrick soon? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Joe Budden Unamused By Drake’s Latest Announcement

[Via]

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DJ Akademiks And Charlamagne Tha God Debate “6:16 In LA”

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The rap world is once again reacting and in some cases over-reacting to the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. It’s only been a few days since Kendrick dropped “euphoria” and fans are still picking apart all the lyrical detail. This morning, Kendrick surprise dropped yet another challenge in a new diss track called 6:16 In LA.” Fans are already trying to dissect the meaning of 6:16 and even breaking down the various samples and producers used in the song. Unsurprisingly, DJ Akademiks and Charlamagne felt the need to sit down and unpack where the beef currently stands after the new track.

When Ak asked Charlamagne a pretty simple question of who is currently coming out on top, he gave a diplomatic answer. “If you can be an objective hop hop fan who enjoys really good lyrics bars you have to say you are impressed with what both Drake and Kendrick have done thus far” Charlamagne responds. He goes onto explain that even if you believe one MC is in the lead, it shouldn’t be by much. Fans are still hoping that Drake eventually responds with a diss track entirely focused on Kendrick, as his previous release “Push Ups” was focused on numerous adversaries. Check out AK and Charlamagne’s conversation below.

Read More: Saucy Santana Continues To Taunt DJ Akademiks

Charlamagne Tells DJ Akademiks Things Are Close To Even

Fans have been unpacking all the details of Kendrick’s new song all day. They broke down a familial connection Drake has to the sample used in the song’s instrumental. They also uncovered that regular Taylor Swift producer Jack Antonoff has a production credit on the song. That follows after Drake brought Swift into the discussion with his Taylor Made Freestyle that dropped last month.

What do you think of Charlamagne’s take on the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef following the release of “6:16 In LA?” Do you think some of the theories fans have pushed about the meaning behind lyrics in the song are true? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: DJ Akademiks’ 7 Biggest Beefs

[Via]

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The Many Explanations Behind Kendrick Lamar’s ‘6:16 In LA’ Title

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kendrick lamar
Philip Cosores

Rap fans love to try to decode their favorite artists’ lyrics. With Kendrick Lamar, though, it goes way further than that, with fans scanning his album covers, release strategies, sampled songs, and even his song titles for clues to esoteric explanations that allow them to justify their view of him as one of rap’s deepest thinkers (he warned us all about that on his last album, but never let it be said rap fans actually listen to the lyrics).

That tradition continues today, with the release of his Drake diss track “6:16 In LA.” Listeners have been looking for hidden meanings behind the title — beyond the obvious taunt of hijacking Drake’s “timestamp” format — and have come up with connections ranging from nominally plausible to “put the blunt down, you’re too high.”

Here’s a breakdown:

Stealing Drake’s Timestamp Signature

The first and most obvious meaning behind the title — and the only one I will personally accept as intentional, until Kendrick Lamar says otherwise — is the clear reference to one of Drake’s signatures. For years, Drake’s defenders and detractors alike used songs like “9AM In Dallas” and “4PM In Calabasas” to argue for his lyrical talents, with the latter saying they’d prefer if he stuck to those tracks instead of genre hopping.

Kendrick’s use of the format suggests his awareness of the meme, while also seemingly declaring, “I can do your thing better than you.”

Tupac Shakur’s Birthday

The least stretchy of the fan theories behind the title, this one is reasonable because not only is 6/16 the late West Coast legend’s birthday, but Tupac has already played a part in the beef via Drake’s questionable use of AI. It’s well-known how much Kendrick looks up to Tupac; he even went so far as to deepfake his own interaction with ‘Pac on To Pimp A Butterfly, albeit with the estate’s permission. So, he would definitely perceive some disrespect in Drake faking a Tupac verse (which, to be fair, was the point). Evoking his birthday could be Kendrick’s way of reclaiming and defending his idol’s legacy.

Father’s Day

Yes, Father’s Day is on June 16 this year. Yes, Kendrick Lamar has spent more than a few bars of the beef deploring Drake’s parenting (which, come on, Drake’s never NOT with that kid — Pusha T’s “You are hiding a child” made such a great meme, the narrative stuck for six years despite not even being true). So, this one feels … kinda stretchy, but not really. It flies.

OJ Simpson Murder Trial

Here’s where things start to get goofy. This connection is likely being because with Simpson’s death last month, his name is top-of-mind for plenty of rap fans. In addition, they have never had all that great of a grasp on trial law, despite having a few to be keenly interested in. Contrary to what some have posited, though, the OJ Simpson trial did NOT start on June 16 of 1994. Rather, the initial charges were submitted that day; Simpson was formally charged on June 17. The trial started six months later, on January 24, 1995. Sorry, but this dog don’t hunt.

Euphoria Air Date

The buzzy show may have debuted on June 16, 2019, but Kendrick dropped his “Euphoria” in April. I’m just gonna say I hope you warmed up before this stretch, because otherwise, you probably pulled a muscle.

Any And All Bible Verses

Get outta here. This is why K. Dot stans are so insufferable.